Author: Christina Wilsdon

At long last the soil has warmed up enough to plant dahlias. Every fall, after the flowers’ fireworks display of color is long gone, I dig up the tubers before the soil gets cold and soggy and tuck them to sleep in a laundry basket filled with peat moss in the garage. Come spring, I bring the wizened, gnarled batch back outside and bury them in the soil of the planters on the deck.

This year, however, a little Douglas squirrel who lives in our garden decided to get in on the act of spring planting. Which meant kicking my dahlia tubers aside as he buried sunflower seeds filched from beneath the birdfeeder.

Here’s the little dickens, contemplating his next move.

He spent hours each day bounding back and forth between the little garden that was blanketed in spilled seeds and the planters.

Leaving the scene of the crime to go back and get more seeds.

I investigated a few days later to find out more about his work and spotted a dozen holes crammed with sunflower seeds.

There are about 10 seeds in this hole so far.

Now, of course, the seeds are growing, and because they’re not properly spaced out, they’re doing so in a tangled, helter-skelter fashion.

Little Squirrel did not expect this result.

Eventually I had to spoil Squirrel’s fun by tacking chicken wire over the planters so the poor dahlias could sprout. I did leave a big pot of soil near the sunflower seeds, though, so that he could continue his sunflower-stashing project.

What do you like to do after school or work ends for the day? If it’s nice out, I usually like to go for a walk with my dogs. Today, however, I decided to wander around the garden and see what was blooming and what little creatures might be stirring in the flowers and under the leaves.

I didn’t expect to find this little creature.

A baby bunny with its tummy full of milk…and very sleepy.

The poor little mite had been plucked out of its nest by Pippi, one of my two dogs. The bunny squeaked, and Pippi dropped it in surprise. That gave me just enough time to scoop it up. As soon as it felt the warmth of my hand, the little bunny curled up to go back to sleep.

I quickly took its picture and tucked it back into its nest. The nest was a swirl of grass padded with rabbit fur. Another little bunny was fast asleep in the nest, and this one quickly crawled back in to snooze next to its sibling.

The dogs, of course, were eagerly watching and waiting their chance to take the bunny out again. So my husband shooed them into the house, and together we built a weird contraption out of garden stakes, chairs, and an old parakeet cage. It will let Mama Rabbit in, but keep out curious dogs. At least, it will keep them out long enough for us to barge in and protect the rabbits if the dogs try to get through this barrier.